We Stir
by Alien Emerald
Summary: ‘PRISON AREA: picking up hitchhikers is prohibited.’ But he had ignored that sign. Instead, the car had come to a screeching halt next to the girl with the crimson hair that made the desert look cold. "Get in." RS. No longer on hiatus!
1. Chapter 1

**Stir**

'**PRISON AREA: picking up hitchhikers is prohibited.' But he had ignored that sign. Instead, the car had come to a screeching halt next to the girl that looked like no other. With a thousand looks in her eyes he couldn't describe, she had evoked every emotion within him and it was all he could to do keep from letting them loose. He opened the passenger door, mimicking her crooked smile. "Get in."**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, nor do I own anything related to prisons. **

**My amazing Teen Titans fans! I love you so much! You have been with me through thick and thin, and I owe you a million. THIS is a SERIES. Yes, my loves, it's NOT just a oneshot. It is a WHOLE BOOK!! I know!! I couldn't believe it either! Please, enjoy!**

**XX**

The desert sun had just reached the center of the sky, covering every inch of the desert wasteland. Shadows were only tiny stumps behind dry brush, and even they had no hope of escaping the heat. The blue sky seemed faded and washed-out, bleached by the scorching sun. Not a single cloud remained in the sky, for even they were afraid to be abandoned in this warmth.

Richard turned the air conditioning up in his car, glad that he was able to remain cool. Outside it was 112 degrees, and he was positive that no one would be enjoying a day outside. He wouldn't ever have to, he knew. There couldn't be much anyone else who would have to live out here. But, if there was, he pitied them.

He made a game of reading each sign that passed, trying to get rid of the boredom that gripped him. Every sign, though, was meaningless. Next exit 86 miles, next rest stop 129 miles, next, next, next. Every next was followed by a number; a big number. He already knew he would remain in the emptiness for what seemed like forever, and he wasn't getting much encouragement by seeing the numbers slowly go down on the signs.

'PRISON AREA: hitchhiking is prohibited.' _Hmm, _he thought, _that's new. _He looked around eagerly for a prison, but only saw a short building far off in the distance. It was too far away to make out anything exciting, such as electric fences and prisoners. For all he knew, it could have just been a mirage. Because in the distance it seemed to bend with waves of light, haze rising into the air in what looked like gas fumes. He looked away, searching for something else interesting.

In the distance, what looked like just more bends in the light, was a shadow, too far away to see anything but a blur. He squinted, for even his custom made sunglasses could not block out the light. Soon, the shadow became a figure, one with a raised thumb. He knew in an instant that there was a hitchhiker there, completely inflamed by the sun. He had thought before that he pitied anyone who was out in the heat, but he did not feel anything for them.

He sped up faster, his foot pressing down hard on the gas petal, intent on passing the distant shadow with the raised thumb. The yellow lines on the road disappeared faster under the car, the dry brush passing by in only a blur now. He didn't care to look at the speedometer; he just knew that he had to pass the figure.

Until he could see it, and every thought changed. He saw a girl now, and it was not one he intended on passing by. She had fire-red hair that made the vast desert look cold, and two large emerald eyes that could not have looked more like the real jewel. He saw her, every inch of her body in some way unique, and the car came to a screeching halt.

He opened the passenger door, already able to feel the desert heat seep into the cold car interior. He looked at her, taking in every feature about her. Her crimson hair was in a high ponytail, her stomach exposed by a white tank top, her sun-bronzed legs partially covered by ripped shorts. He stared back at her, mimicking her sideways smile. "Get in."

XX

"Name?" he asked her, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Kory Anders," she replied.

"I'm Richard." She waited for more. "Um, Grayson."

"Dick," she murmured. "Nice."

He inwardly groaned, annoyed that yet another person would abuse his name. Outwardly, however, he remained calm, thinking of what to say next. "What were you doing out in the desert like that?"

She seemed to pause. "I came from back east. My boyfriend…uh…abandoned me, and I was left here alone."

"So you're single?" Whoops. How did that happen?

She looked at him, grinning widely. She looked around the car for a moment, examining the fine black leather and expensive mechanisms, then met his eyes again. "Yes," she said, "I'm single."

It was silent for a while, the tension seeming to be only in his head. She had probably dealt with a thousand pretty boys, and she was completely used to being hit on, and was fairly good at flirting back. He, however, had only dealt with so many pretty girls. None, though, as gorgeous as she.

"I've been driving for two days now," he began, "and I'm pretty beat. Do you mind if we stop at a hotel?"

"Sure," she said. "I don't mind."

So, he drove along the narrow highway, watching as the numbers on the signs seemed to go by so much faster now. Soon, he exited into a small town, picking the first motel he saw. Kory agreed to it, not really seeming to care that it was a rundown junk house. "I could afford much better," he assured her, "but I just don't want to drive longer."

She traced her slender finger along the dashboard, running it along every curve in the surface. "I can see that," she said.

XX

"One bed or two?" the lady at the front desk asked. As if she was the mascot of the hotel, she perfectly represented the run-down hillbilly motto.

"Uh," Richard paused, his brain deciding that it didn't like the question. It refused to work. "T-two beds, please."

Kory was silent the whole time, and remained so as they walked to their room. He had brought a suitcase, but she didn't have anything to take up to the room. Quite obviously.

He opened the door to their room, dropping his suitcase on the floor, and then lunging himself onto the bed. He was intent on falling asleep right then, but he had to do something about Kory. She needed clothes, and probably food and water. He opened his eyes to find her tracing her finger along the walls of the room, over the furniture, over the bed.

"I'll get us something to eat." He didn't bother offering. He knew she was hungry. "I'll go down to the lounge and bring back some stuff. Anything you want in particular?"

She smiled a strange smile he hadn't yet seen on her. Like she was smiling about something secret, something he would never find out. "Junk food," was her answer.

He came back with two trays of food. Both of them had the same things: a hamburger, chips, a cookie, fries, and water. She ate ravenously, probably starving from having spent so long in the desert. He finished half over everything, offering her the rest. She finished that off, too, and traced her finger over the two trays.

She stayed awake long after he dozed off. And he could have sworn he felt her finger run along his face, his stomach, his legs…. But when he awoke, it was night, and she was sound asleep on the floor, the bed completely undisturbed.

XX

**Idea's are needed, and reviews are wanted. I will kiss the ground you walk on if you review. And I will kiss the soles of your shoes if you give me an idea.**

**Love and love and love again,**

**Chloe**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much to all who reviewed: ****cartoonfire****, ****Edwardjustproposed****, ****Eve Royal****, ****writergirl712****, ****contagiousCHRISTian****, and ****ox soaring-star xo****.**

**I love you all so much!!! Thanks to all the returning and dedicated fans and friends, and thanks to the new fans. Here you are. **

XX

He awoke at 5:50 in the morning to the sound of a shower running. The first thing he realized, after remembering what had happened yesterday, was that Kory only had the clothes she had been wearing. He decided that, for her, he would go on a shopping trip. He called the front desk and asked where the nearest clothes store was, and they checked out the moment Kory was ready to go.

"Where are we going?" she asked once they were in the car.

"To a store to get some clothes for you."

She didn't seem phased by that. She kept calm, keeping her eyes fixed on the road. "No, I meant _where _are we going? As in, what is our destination?"

"_Your _destination is whatever you want it to be."

"Well, I no longer have a destination. My boyfriend took all of my money, and I no longer have a home."

"You can stay with me until we find you one." Why do things always slip out of his mouth? Why doesn't he buy duct tape?

"Thank you, Richard," she said, smiling at him. "You are a very kind person."

He smiled back, happy that she was happy. It was silent, until she spoke again. "Wait…. How am I going to afford a home of my own?"

He could have said she was going to work for it. He could have just said she would have to get the money to buy one. But, instead, he said, "I'll buy you one."

"Now, Dick, I can work for it." Her voice sounded phony. Well, who wouldn't want to get a free house?

"No, it's no problem. I have enough money to go into retirement today. I can certainly afford to buy you a house."

She was smiling madly, now. It was all he needed to see to know that she accepted. Normally, he doing this would have been insane. But Kory was different, and he wanted to make her happy more than any other.

"Where do you live?" she finally asked.

"On a secluded beach in Florida."

"With no one else near by?"

"Nope."

"Perfect."

XX

The trip was long, and, for the most part, silent. He was content on listening to music or watching the road, and she seemed perfectly happy to do the same. He was glad that he had found Kory, and he found himself thinking about her most of the time. She was a truly beautiful girl, and he took no shame in thinking it. Her story was that of a mystery, and he really knew nothing of who she was. But, he didn't mind. She was here now, and that's all he really needed to know.

The silence tended to come towards civilization, where Kory would shy away from conversation and sit low and silent. He assumed she didn't want to be seen, but for what reason, he had no clue. He accepted it, though, and didn't speak to her when she acted that way. He drove fast through the crowded interstates and highways, feeling uncomfortable that Kory was uncomfortable.

They stopped at a hotel each night, soon falling easily into a routine. They checked in, he brought his bags upstairs while she brought her clothes, he immediately fell asleep, and she stayed awake. What she did while his eyes were closed was unknown to him. He only remembered her tracing her finger along the room, the couch, the bed, the chair, the pillow, his face…. Her tracing finger seemed to lull him to sleep each night, and it seemed to always be a part of his dreams. Her finger, tracing along his lips, his jaw, his stomach. At times it felt so real that he awoke to wonder if she had really touched him, and if the fire along his jaw and stomach were reality.

Her words, her face, her everything, was a complete mystery to him. When they talked, he would fall into stupor, because none of her words made sense. But, there had been one particular night when she had really caught his attention.

"So, how long were you with your boyfriend?" he had asked her.

"3 years." She was always short in her words, and not paying much attention to details.

"And what did you do then?" he asked.

She traced her finger along the tabletop of the diner, running it up along the gleaming silver napkin holder and over the glass salt shaker. Her eyes never met his unless she searched for an answer or an oncoming question. Her finger, day or night, always sent shivers up his spine. There was no fantasy playing in his head, only her finger, tracing over all objects in plain sight.

"We ran together," she answered.

He never really liked her short answers. "You mean, like, on a track team? Or…?"

"We ran from everyone, keeping far from civilization. At times we ran from each other, but in the end we always meet up again."

He stopped asking question. Even though a thousand came into his head he wanted answers for, he didn't ask. Whether she was planning on keeping her past a secret, or just inadvertently making him confused, he knew no answer would come from her.

There was just one thing that he could make sense of. She and her boyfriend had fought, and broke up for a while. _But in the end we always meet up again…. _Why had she used present tense there? Was she planning on going back to him? Or was it really over? He hoped so, because he didn't plan on losing Kory any time soon.

XX


End file.
